Common IT Interview Questions for Freshers

The technology industry can be daunting to start with as a new graduate, but the best thing you can do to get rid of all your apprehensions and become confident is to learn all about common IT interview questions for freshmen. While interviewing fresh graduates, recruiters don’t simply test their knowledge of technical concepts; they try to judge their logical thinking ability, fundamentals of programming, software architecture knowledge, and communication skills as well. 

1. Basic Programming & Problem Solving Questions

In an interview for entry-level programmers, hiring managers value logical skills over knowledge of programming language syntax. Being well-versed with the basics of programming clearly indicates that you possess basic problem-solving abilities that would enable you to master any tech stack.

Important Programming Questions That Fresher Should Prepare

• What is your understanding of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)?
• Object-oriented programming can be defined as the approach where designing is done through objects rather than functions and logic. The four main components of OOP consist of abstraction, encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism.
• What is the difference between call by value and call by reference?
• In call by value, only the copy of the variable is sent into the function, and whatever change takes place in the function has no impact on the actual variable, whereas in case of call by reference, the address of the variable is sent into the function.
• What is the difference between recursion and iteration?
• In recursive algorithms, the function keeps calling itself repeatedly until some condition is fulfilled. Iteration makes use of a loop that repeatedly executes some statements. Iterative processes tend to have less memory overhead compared to recursive processes.
• What are the static variables and methods?
• Static variables and methods are the ones related to the class rather than the objects created from the class. Static variables are those that belong to the whole class whereas static methods can be invoked without creating an instance of the class.
• How will you be able to reverse a string without using any built-in library function?
• Reversing a string can be done using two methods; the first involves the two-pointer technique while the second uses iteration where two pointers start from opposite ends and start swapping characters till they meet. The above methods have time and space complexities of O(N) and O(1) respectively.
• What is the difference between a compiler-based language and an interpreter-based language?
• A compiler is software that translates the complete source code at once into machine code before running the program (examples include C and C++). An interpreter is software that translates the source code line by line during runtime (examples include Python & JavaScript).

2. Core Data Structures & Algorithms (DSA) Concepts

Data structures and algorithms play an essential role in the technical evaluation of the software engineering domain. Interviewers check the candidate’s knowledge of DSA to measure how well they can allocate memory and code, which is scalable for actual computation.

Top DSA Interview Questions

• Array vs. Linked List
• Arrays keep their data in a continuous memory space with O(1) random access but must have a fixed memory size allocated before use. The linked list uses nodes that are not stored next to each other and connected by pointers, thus enabling fast O(1) insertion and deletion from any position in memory. However, finding elements in the list takes O(N) sequential accesses.
• How Stack & Queue Data Structures work?
• Stack follows LIFO (Last in First out) strategy which means new elements can be pushed and popped only from the top of the stack. Queue follows FIFO (First in First out) strategy, which means new elements can be inserted at the end of the queue and the first element will be deleted from its front.
• What is Big-O Notation and how important it is to know about it?
• Big-O notation represents the worst-case space/time complexity of an algorithm relative to the size of the input data (N). It helps engineers identify performance problems and choose an appropriate algorithm to scale for the growing number of users.
• Describe the way the binary search algorithm works and its time complexity.
• The binary search is a type of a divide and conquer algorithm for sorted arrays. It halves the search space at each step based on the comparison of the search value with the middle element of an array, working at the time complexity of O(N).
• A hash table is a data structure that uses a hashing function to map the keys to their corresponding values for O(1) access times on average. In the case of two keys having an identical index (hash collision), it is resolved through either chaining by storing the linked list at the index of the array or open addressing, where the next possible index of the array is searched.
• Binary Trees vs. BST:
• A binary tree is such a tree where the maximum number of child nodes for any node is 2. In a binary search tree, however, there is an ordering property of a tree that mandates that the value in the left subtree of a node is always less than the value in the node and vice versa.

3. Database Management Systems (DBMS) & SQL Essentials

It is essential that there be data persistence in enterprise software applications. The interviewers should test the knowledge of the freshers about the basics of designing a relational database, some basic normalization rules, and knowledge of SQL query syntax for manipulating data.

• What is the difference between DBMS and RDBMS?
• In the DBMS, the data is kept in flat/hierarchical file format where there is no required relationship between the tables. In RDBMS, the data is stored in table format where there is a relationship between the tables.
• ACID Properties of Database Transactions?
• ACID refers to atomicity, where all operations in a transaction succeed or fail. There is consistency whereby data transitions from one valid state to another. Isolation, whereby concurrent transactions are executed without hindering one another, and durability, whereby committed transactions withstand any form of system failure.
• In what ways are INNER JOIN, LEFT JOIN, RIGHT JOIN and FULL JOIN different??
• INNER JOIN returns only those rows that have matching keys in both tables. LEFT JOIN will return all rows in the first table and the matching keys in the second table. RIGHT JOIN returns all rows in the second table and the matching keys in the first table. FULL JOIN returns all rows in both tables irrespective of the matching keys.
• What is data normalization, and what are its uses?
• Data normalization is a database design process whereby a design of tables is created by eliminating redundancy of data and insert, update and delete anomalies. This entails organizing schemas using increasingly more strict normal forms (1NF, 2NF, 3NF, BCNF).
• How are WHERE and HAVING clauses different in SQL?
• The WHERE clause works on the level of individual records before grouping takes place. The HAVING clause works on aggregated data groups after the use of the GROUP BY clause in the query execution process.
• What is a Database Index, and what is its purpose?

An index is a particular data structure (often a B-tree) that is created on table columns in order to speed up data retrieval by queries without having to scan the entire table. While an index helps in faster retrieval (SELECT) of data, it creates some overhead in insertions, updates and deletions (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE).

4. Web Development, Software Engineering & Cloud Basics

In today’s IT positions, freshers should be aware of how distributed Web apps work, what software engineering lifecycle is all about, and how cloud infrastructure can help with deployment.

Basic Web & DevOps Interview Questions

• What happens after typing a URL into a browser?
• Typically, the browser will perform a DNS lookup to convert the domain name into an IP address, establish a TCP/IP connection or TLS connection to the server, issue an HTTP GET request, get the response containing HTML/CSS/JavaScript payload, render a DOM and execute the client-side code.
• How are RESTful APIs different from Web Services?
• REST (Representational State Transfer) is an architectural style which uses standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) and lightweight JSON payloads for managing resources in a stateless manner. It is more efficient and scalable compared to SOAP (XML based protocol).
• Describe Git and some of the basic Git commands.
• Git is a decentralized version control system that keeps track of changes made to codes in different branches. Some of the Git commands include git clone (to download repository), git branch (creates or lists branches), git commit (to record changes to codes), git push (uploads changes to repository), and git pull (downloads changes).
• How is HTTP different from HTTPS?
• HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) transfers unencrypted text-based information through port 80, making it easy for people to intercept any communication. HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP that sends data through port number 443 via security certificates of SSL/TLS.
• What is Agile methodology?
• Agile is a process-oriented project management methodology in which the software is developed in small bursts called sprints (which last anywhere between 2 to 4 weeks). The key features of Agile methodology include adaptive planning, collaboration, and feedback.
• What is Cloud Computing, IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS?
• Cloud Computing is a type of computing in which computing resources are provided over the internet. IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) is the computing environment where users obtain computing power without security (AWS EC2).
• EC2); PaaS (Platform as a Service) is used as a development runtime environment (for example, AWS Elastic Beanstalk). SaaS (Software as a Service) is an application software that can be easily used (example – Google Workspace).

5. Behavioral, HR and Situational Interview Questions

While technical skills enable a candidate to pass the threshold, communication skills, problem solving abilities, and cultural assimilation enable freshers to get offers.

Critical HR & Behavioral Interview Questions

• Tell me something about yourself and how you decided to become an IT professional.
• Your answer should be organized into the present, past, and future: Start off by describing your technical qualifications, then move on to mention your significant projects and internships, and finally link your career goals with that of the organization's technological mission.
• Describe a difficult bug in a project that you have fixed.
• Use STAR technique. Provide a brief description of the technical problem, the approach to debugging the problem (log analysis, code segmenting, hypothesis testing), the solution found, and the lessons learned in this particular case.
• What is your approach to keeping track of developments in new technologies?
• Demonstrate your willingness to learn by mentioning some technical blogs that you subscribe to (Medium, Dev.to), and online communities you are involved in (Stack Overflow, GitHub).
• How do you cope with pressure or deadline-related projects?
• Concentrate on demonstrating your ways to prioritize, communicate within the team, and manage time. Describe your way to break big tasks into smaller day-to-day deliverables, ask for help when you need, and focus on priority functionality.
• What is your career plan for five years ahead?
• Showcase how your career path is oriented towards continuous progress and dedication to technical skills. Express your plans to become a competent full-stack developer or technical lead who will know everything about enterprise system architecture and software development.
• Why are you interested in joining our particular company?
• Show that you have done your homework and are familiar with the company's main products, technology stack, engineering principles, or market position. Align your technical interests with the vision of the company.

Got Questions? Here Are Some FAQs

1. How much time will a fresher need for making himself prepared for the IT job interview?

The time period required by the fresher for the preparation of IT job interviews would be about 2 to 3 months. In this duration, the fresher is able to gain adequate knowledge about the basics of programming, data structure, SQL queries, capstone projects, and mock interviews.

2. Is it possible for non-computer science students to crack IT interviews?

Yes, because most of the IT organizations consider the technical skills and analytical ability rather than specialization in computer science.

3. What is the best programming language for the fresher to prepare for the interview?

Python and Java are highly recommended languages. Python has easy-to-understand syntax enabling beginners to concentrate on problem-solving skills. Java is a popular language among many corporate organizations owing to its robust object-oriented properties and wide usage in back-end engineering.

4. Is DSA relevant for entry-level positions in IT?

DSA is extremely vital in the technical round of interviews in almost all IT software organizations. The fact that you can explain your understanding of fundamental concepts like arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, sorting algorithms, and time complexity indicates how efficient you are at coding.

5. What if I don’t know the answer during the live interview?

Never try to give an unclear answer and do not be confused. Confess honestly that you do not know the precise answer but show the method of solving the problem.

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